1
as in winked
to secretly sympathize with or pretend ignorance of something improper or unlawful
the principal connived at all the school absences that were recorded on the day of the city's celebration of its Super Bowl victory
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plotted
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
suspects that his coworkers are conniving to get him fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for connived
Verb
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Stayton then reportedly winked and told the protester they'd be charged with a felony.—
Jolene Almendarez,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Nov. 2025 -
Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His path here wasn’t plotted out as brand strategy or a pivot to wellness.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
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The novel, lightly plotted, didn’t cry out for a sequel, but Martin’s new Down Time (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) offers a continuation of sorts (in mood at least).—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Banfield's at-times tense testimony comes after his attorney scrutinized the county's investigation into the defendant, arguing that officials, almost since the beginning, forced a theory that the husband had catfished and killed his wife, and ignored evidence that undermined that conclusion.—
OLIVIA DIAZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
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Their position ignored the Ukrainian perspective on the issue, thus excluding Ukrainians as the affected party from understanding and communicating current and historical narratives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Curtis schemed to obtain at least $600,000 over the years, and there might be other unauthorized payments exceeding $1 million, according to police.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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As a watchdog demands that Idaho's attorney general launch an investigation into a new anti-DEI law, an attorney for the group exposed how four universities in the state have allegedly schemed to sidestep the law's provisions.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Connived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/connived. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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